Gaelic Kingdoms

Kingdoms of Ireland

Fedlim unsuccessfully attacks the Dumbarton Britons of
Alt Clut. However, at
this time in Ireland's history the tribal system has not yet been replaced
by the descendant-name system, and it is highly unlikely that the kingdoms
of Connacht and Mide exist in
this form. This means that this event is recorded quite some time later,
after the fifth century at least. This either places its authenticity in
some doubt, or it means that a later chronicler has applied the names of his
time to a tribal event. In which case, which tribe is involved? Perhaps the
Autini or Magnatae of Connacht?

The name Máel Sechnaill is a fascinating one. Firstly, 'mailíseach' is an
adjective (graded as 'mailísí', and in its plural form as 'mailíseacha'),
meaning 'malicious'. So does that make Mael Sechnaill 'the Malicious Naill'?
Not quite. Translations of 'naill' produce 'either' or 'the one... (the
other[s])', effectively providing 'the malicious one', but it has to be
suspected that 'the one' here is usually translated into English as
'himself'. So the king is named 'Himself the Evil (One)'. One of his
descendants re-uses this name (in 979).